Prisons are generally not designed as child-friendly spaces. Children who visit their imprisoned parents are often exposed to intimidating and harsh environments. However, regular and ongoing contact with a parent in prison when in children’s best interests is crucial for every child’s well-being. Prisons can evolve into more supportive and accommodating environments for families. This

On the morning of Wednesday, September 18, ‘Game with Mum & Dad’ was played in the Novara Prison (Piedmont, Italy), thanks to the organisation of COPE member Bambinisenzasbarre. In Italy, ‘Game with Mum & Dad’ was organised for the first time in 2015 in Milan and has since become a tool used to strengthen, enhance

On Sunday, September 22, the first ‘Game with Mum & Dad’ event in Germany took place at Bremen Prison, marking a memorable day for four imprisoned fathers and their nine children. The event was organised by COPE member Hoppenbank e.V., a grassroots association that supports prisoners and relatives. The gymnasium at Bremen Prison was transformed

On September 11, the Busto Arsizio Prison, Italy, hosted the ‘Game with Mum & Dad’. The event took place in the morning, with four imprisoned parents and seven children participating. At 10 o’clock in the morning the children, accompanied by their mothers, joined their fathers on the institution’s field. The fact that it coincided with

On Saturday 21 September, another ‘Game with Mum & Dad’ event was organised in the gymnasium of Jiřice Prison, Czech Republic, thanks to Prison Fellowship Czech Republic. Sixteen children participated in the event, joining 10 imprisoned fathers on the playing field. These fathers, all serving long-term sentences, had in some cases not seen their children for

The autumn phase of ‘Game with Mum & Dad’ kicked off on September 9 in Avellino (a town of 50,000 inhabitants, founded by the ancient Romans as “Abellinum”), half an hour from Naples, Italy. After nearly a year of preparation, the game finally began at 10am at the high-security ‘Antimo Graziano’ Correctional Facility, where 15